Politics, and race, are at play in Westchester

Phil Reisman writes about county government, politics and race. He seems upset by the suggestion that race was an issue in the recent county executive contest.

Does Reisman really view the efforts of Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino to undo a housing desegregation settlement with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development as simply a matter of defending local zoning ordinances? I'm old enough to remember when Yonkers dealt with this issue. It was then, and is now, all about race.

One Astorino campaign mailing that Reisman describes included a picture of a "funky-looking apartment building plunked between single-family homes," with the text, "Don't let the Federal Government INVADE Bedford." Another included a dark-skinned political opponent "emerging from the shadows." There are still some "redneck pockets of race baiters," says Reisman.

But, unconcerned by the "race baiters," Reisman's focus is on Westchester County Legislator Ken Jenkins, who calls out Astorino for his loathsome tactics.

Jenkins did not raise the "race question"; Astorino and his allies were way ahead of him on that. But not to worry about racism, Reisman suggests, after all, we "elected a black president" didn't we?

With this kind of thinking, we can be assured that the "redneck pockets of race baiters" will remain a part of life in Westchester County .

Bill Dennison

Yonkers

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Politics, and race, are at play in Westchester

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